It’s The 13th Annual Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival

It’s The 13th Annual Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival

2019 marks the 13th year that the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival is taking place. While the festival often takes place in March, this year’s event will take place from April 4th to April 28th and it will feature a Japanese Fair and other blossom-themed events.

The event is acknowledged by the Canadian Garden Council and it received Canada’s Garden Festival of the Year Award a few years ago. Some of the events across Metro Vancouver include the following:

Vancouver Cherry Jam Downtown Concert 2019

This is a free event that takes place under shelter at Vancouver’s Burrard Street SkyTrain Station. It takes place on Thursday, April 4th, from noon until 1:30 pm. At last year’s event, there were performances by the Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble, the Sound Eclectic Vocal Ensemble, Alcvin Ramos on the Japanese bamboo flute and pianist Ken Cormier, among others.

Vancouver Cherry Blossom Sakura Spring Lights Illumination Night

This free event takes place at the Japanese War Memorial in Stanley Park on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday of April 11th to 13th. The family-friendly event includes impressive light illuminations, music, cherry blossoms, a multi-sensory show as well as people who bring their own picnics to enjoy the show and ambience. The event starts at around 10 pm each night.

Vancouver’s Sakura Days Japan Fair

Experience Japanese cultural activities at the VanDusen Botanical Garden. This year’s fair will take place on Saturday, April 13, from 10 am to 7 pm, and on Sunday, April 14, from 10 am to 5 pm.

You can expect everything from traditional Japanese music and Japanese anime fans to flute making and calligraphy workshops at this event. You will also be able to taste great traditional Japanese food, such as okonomiyaki (a kind of savoury cabbage pancake), takoyaki (fried octopus in a dough), among others.